The Hands of Laborers

 

                          The Hands of Laborers

ABBY ZIMET

May 2, 2022

On this May Day, as workers rally and protest and struggle to organize at once-invincible behemoths like Starbucks and Amazon, we pay tribute to all those who have come before, fighting for their, for all of our, basic rights. In the looking back, both mournful and inspiring, we also give thanks to those who recorded their battles, from Dorothea Lange documenting the Depression to Phil Ochs in his little-known "Hands." Pat Humphries covered it as well. From Hands, remember: "The hand of the laborer is reaching out to you." With hat tip to Joshua.

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ABBY ZIMET

Abby Zimet has written CD's Further column since 2008. A longtime, award-winning journalist, she moved to the Maine woods in the early 70s, where she spent a dozen years building a house, hauling water and writing before moving to Portland. Having come of political age during the Vietnam War, she has long been involved in women's, labor, anti-war, social justice and refugee rights issues. Email: azimet18@gmail.com